Re: USAGE: (Mis)Naming a Language

On 28 Oct, Benct Philip Jonsson wrote:


> My conlang Sohlob was originally _Sahrab_, but then I discovered
> that this is a Pakistani surname, so lest I offend some Mr/Ms
> Sahrab I changed the name to _Sahlab_, only to discover that this
> is a (modern) Egyptian drink of some kind
    The word also exists in Hebrew. It translates out as "orchid"!
While I can't vouch for what the Egyptians put into their
version of the drink, I have seen it sold here as an instant powdered
food. The box, IIRC, claimed that it contained powdered "orchid".
This is obviously not the same flower that is rare and expensive,
but probably something more common from the same family.
    I actually tried to make the stuff once (from the powder).
It was pretty vile! IMNSHO, many (if not most :-P ) instant foods
can be grouped with it under the same "vile" heading!
    Now, There is a useful new gender for those of us
whose langs mark such things: "instant-vile"!  ;-)

    Anyhow, to add my experience to the discussion of
(mis)Naming a Language: If I google for my conlang as it is spelled,
rtemmu with 2 m's, I get only references to my conlang.
But if I search for rtemu with 1 m, I get all kinds of interesting stuff.
Much of it seems to be about computing, especially emulators.
Any computer people here know what RETMU has to do with?

Dan Sulani
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likehsna rtem zuv tikuhnuh auag inuvuz vaka'a.

A word is an awesome thing.

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